St Thomas à Becket Chapel, Milford Haven facts for kids
St Thomas à Becket Chapel is a very old building in Milford Haven, Wales. It was built way back in 1180 and was named after a famous saint, St Thomas Becket. This chapel was special because it wasn't just a place for worship; it also acted like a lighthouse for sailors. From its spot on the north bank, it had amazing views of the Haven estuary, helping ships find their way.
For a long time, the chapel was connected to a nearby monastery called Pill Priory. But by the 1600s, the chapel was in ruins. During a war in 1644, soldiers known as Parliamentarians even used it. Later, it became a storage place for a nearby military battery.
Contents
A Chapel's Journey Through Time
From Pigsty to Chapel Again
In the 1900s, the old chapel was in a very sad state. It was used as a pigsty and a stable for animals! But in 1930, people decided to save it. They raised £1,000, which was a lot of money back then, to rebuild it. The restoration work was finished in 1938.
After being rebuilt, the chapel was given a new purpose. It became an Anglican chapel of ease. This means it was a smaller church built to help people who lived far from the main parish church.
Inside the Historic Chapel
The chapel is built from rough stone and has a roof made of slate. It has a small main room called a nave and a smaller area at the front called a chancel. Both of these sections have unique, rounded ceilings that look like the inside of a barrel.
Inside, the chapel is quite simple. The ceilings are plastered, and there are small spaces called niches on each side of the chancel. There is also a curved wooden beam, which once held a rood (a cross with a figure of Jesus). Some of the windows in the nave have beautiful stained glass, added in 1935 and 1939.
Recent Changes to the Chapel
In 2012, the chapel was sold to a private owner, even though many local people didn't want it to be. More recently, in 2025, an application was made to the Pembrokeshire Council. This application asked for permission to change how the building is used.
The plan was to make the chapel an extra part of a house next door. This would involve putting a new floor over the old stone floor, adding a toilet, and building a first floor inside the chapel. These changes would be bolted to the existing stone walls.
